The vegetarian viewpoint: small changes can make a big impact for your "meatless members".

Braised Tofu as the special at the club today? Not likely, say die-hard traditional members. But with a three-fold increase in vegetarianism in the last seven years, and growing concerns over tainted beef, making your club vegetarian-friendly should be a top priority. Fortunately, this is not hard to accomplish 3/4 even with a "meat and potatoes" executive chef.

* The President of your Board is treating his favorite granddaughter to a birthday lunch at the club ... and they're both scowling at the menu. "I'm supposed to watch my cholesterol, and Melissa doesn't eat meat," he grumbles. "I guess we'll both have the salad."

* An active member is entertaining a prospective employee ... who happens to be Hindu. Your server doesn't know if the vegetable soup contains beef stock, and doesn't seem to care. The member is embarrassed, her guest is hungry 3/4 and you'll be getting a furious letter of resignation from the member later this week.

Situations like these are easily avoidable, but they occur every day in private clubs. Once regarded as the diet of hippies or health fanatics, meatless meals have moved solidly into the mainstream. And vegetarians aren't the only ones ordering them: In a recent survey by the Vegetarian Resource Group, 57 percent of the population sometimes, often, or always orders vegetarian when eating out.

So what does this mean for your club? It means that "Chef's salad without the meat" is no longer a viable option as a vegetarian entree. However, minor menu changes can have a big impact in satisfying your "meatless" members. Here are a few ways to get your menu in shape:

Start with Soup. It's hard to find anyone who doesn't love soup, and vegetarians are no exception. Making one or two of your specialty soups completely meatless is a great way to please the carrot-lovers in the crowd--without alienating your other clientele. Whether you're offering a cool summer vichyssoise or a hearty wild mushroom stew, vegetarian soups are an easy addition to your current menu. Instead of navy bean with ham, serve navy bean with frizzled sage and smoked onions. Your `regular' diners will never miss the meat.

One word of caution: Don't defeat the purpose by using animal stock as a base. High-quality vegetable stocks are no more expensive or time-consuming to purchase or produce in-house than those made from animal products. Vegetable soup prepared with beef stock is not vegetarian.

Don't just say "Cheese" please. Too many chefs rely on a thoughtless infusion of dairy to create a `vegetarian' option. If the meatless sandwich on your lunch menu is little more than a collection of condiments and a slice or two of cheese, rethink that sandwich. In addition to containing excessive amounts of fat and cholesterol, a hunk of cheese is just plain boring. Make your meatless sandwiches at least moderately healthy.

Think herb-roasted vegetables, grilled portobello strips, silky slices of avocado. Use dairy products the way they are used on meat-based sandwiches 3/4 as an accent. And don't forget that old stand-by: veggie burgers. Many varieties are tasty, healthy, and easily frozen to reduce wasted inventory.

Educate your servers. Does this dish contain gelatin? How is the pasta prepared? Is that sauce made with cream and butter, or completely vegan? Are there eggs in that? Ingredients are not just a vegetarian issue. Food allergies are on the rise, and potentially life-threatening. Recent lawsuits have been centered around `vegetarian' marinara containing anchovies and french fries flavored with beef. in both cases, misleading or incorrect ingredient information was the culprit.

This doesn't mean your servers must give out detailed recipes for the specialty of the house. However, it is crucial that they be able and willing to know (or immediately find out) if a dish was seasoned with mustard, was fried in peanut oil, or contains animal products. Ingredient information needs to be quickly and readily given to your members, for their satisfaction--and your protection.

If you really want to provide `full disclosure,' free nutritional analyzers are available which calculate calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, and other information. It doesn't need to be listed on the menu, but members who are strictly watching their diets may appreciate the option.

Think Globally. Ethnic cuisine is more popular than ever, and offers an economical way to add variety to your vegetarian offerings. Mexican dishes, with their emphasis on rice and beans, provide inexpensive and satisfying dining options. Wraps, quesadillas, and enchiladas are all easily prepared 3/4 with or without meat accompaniments. Italian is a perennial favorite, and both pizza and pasta are healthy and economical in addition to being crowd-pleasers. Asian foods offer similar flexibility on a menu. Offer a ginger-infused vegetable stir-fry 3/4 with shrimp as an option 3/4 and make everyone happy.

Don't forget your banquets. Here's an unpleasant scenario for any club manager: The wedding reception is in full swing, and the food went out ten minutes ago--except for the five or six diners scattered throughout the ballroom, looking at empty plates. They are the vegetarians, and as everyone else is tucking into dessert, they'll get their dinners. These meals will most likely consist of A: the side dishes everyone else got twenty minutes ago or B: bland and lukewarm pasta.

It doesn't matter that their hosts didn't make special arrangements for their vegetarian guests. It's your club that winds up looking bad.

Fortunately, your banquet sales staff can prevent disasters. Each event planner should be strongly encouraged to offer a vegetarian option for large groups. Even if they decline, your staff should be prepared. Don't be thrown for a loop by last-minute requests.

If you're serving 100 dinners of roast beef, potatoes au gratin, and green beans, have five or ten portobello mushrooms marinating and waiting in the walk-in. Two or three minutes on the grill and, voila, a substitute for the roast beef. Your happy vegetarian visitors will thank their hosts, but you'll be the real winner.

Focus on flavor. House-made ravioli stuffed with spinach pesto and served with wild mushroom marinara. Goat cheese and black bean quesadilla with mango chutney. Butternut and asiago tarts with haricots verts and red onion confit. Stilton and asparagus tart served with salad leaves and walnut bread

Chances are, you're thinking "mmmmmm," not "meatless." And that's exactly the point. Today's vegetarian cuisine is at the forefront of fresh and flavorful. It's an opportunity for your club to highlight the quality of your ingredients and the creativity of your chefs.

Take a tip from the experts. The Athenaeum Faculty Club California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA

"There are many people that practice a vegetarian lifestyle on a constant basis, whereas there are many people that just enjoy having this alternative available to them from time to time," says Crystal Thomas, CCM, general manager of Athenaeum. "It is important to have one menu that includes all of your selections, including items that are vegetarian-friendly. Having a specific menu for vegetarians does not work well, as people do not want to be singled out or want to draw a lot of questions to themselves by placing a special order. This is 2001, and a well-balanced menu should include options for all members."

The Athenaeum's menu treats diners to meatless specialties such as grilled vegetable sandwiches bursting with red and yellow peppers, eggplant, squash, tomatoes and olive tapenade, served on rosemary focaccia bread. Two favorite dinner entrees are a yellow corn pancake with seasonal baby vegetables and tomato coulis, and walnut gorgonzola ravioli with sage and garlic brown butter.

Banquet guests aren't forgotten, either. "On the banquet scene, it is important to have at least one vegetarian selection ready to go," says Thomas. "The dish must not take longer than one minute to bring from the kitchen. Excellent banquet service includes dealing with whatever requests come your way in a seamless manner. This is a great way to put your banquet service to the test."

Charlie Trotter's Chicago, IL

Internationally-renowned chef Charlie Trotter doesn't forget vegetarians when planning the famous `tasting' menus at his eponymous restaurant. Chef Trotter's approach to vegetable cuisine is that of a chef passionate about vegetables. Their complex textures, artistic shapes, vibrant colors and full flavors fuel his love for transforming them into unforgettable dishes.

Always choosing dishes with an eye to what's freshest and best, the offerings rotate seasonally. The late summer menu features delicacies that highlight the bounty of fresh corn: terrine of tiny corn and oven-dried heirloom tomatoes with arugula and water chesnut sorbet, grilled speckled corn soup with crispy semolina gnocchi galette, spicy radishes and Kalamata olive puree, ragout of summer onions and garlic confit, porcini mushrooms with cumin-infused sweet corn emulsion, a `lasagna' of kohlrabi, chanterelle mushrooms and huitlacoche, red wine-braised cabbage and spring garlic, chilled corn soup with cilantro-yogurt sorbet, and a corn and Brazil nut sponge cake with sweet corn pudding and brown butter sauce.

Take the Challenge. What can your chef devise? Present this as a pleasurable challenge, a chance to shine and rise to the occasion with his or her specialties. Toss the tofu, and start freshening up your menu with an eye for `rave review' vegetarian recipes. Your members -- and their guests -- will thank you.